Islamabad High Court orders Adiala jail not to keep Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi in solitary confinement

A Pakistan court has barred authorities from placing jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in further solitary confinement and directed Adiala Jail officials to facilitate meetings between the couple in accordance with prison rules.Court orders family accessThe Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued the directions while hearing separate petitions filed by Khan's sister, Aleema Khan, and Bushra Bibi's daughter, Mubashara Khawar Maneka, over allegations that the two were being kept in solitary confinement.IHC ends solitary confinement of Imran Khan & Bushra Bibi. Orders: daily 1hr walk with human contact, family meetings, video calls with children, reading material. Any denial reason in writing. Report in 15 days.@KhalidYChaudry #فیصلہ_اب_سڑکوں_پر_ہوگا pic.twitter.com/kmqSJNtwqP— PTI UK (@UKPTIOfficial) September 1, 2026 Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro also ordered jail authorities to allow Khan's family members to meet him as permitted under prison regulations. The court further directed officials to make arrangements for telephone conversations between the 73-year-old former premier and his sons.Medical facilities and books orderedIn addition, the Adiala Jail administration has been instructed to provide Khan with newspapers and books every day and ensure that he receives medical facilities in line with jail rules. The jail superintendent has been asked to implement the court's directions and submit a compliance report within 15 days.Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, has been in prison since August 2023 following convictions in several cases, which his party has described as politically motivated. The government has rejected allegations by his family and supporters that his access to relatives and medical care has been restricted.'I Have Not Heard That Thing': Pakistan Captain Babar Azam Breaks Silence On Imran Khan Sons' Interview Row | VideoBushra Bibi remains jailedBushra Bibi, who was jailed in January 2024, was granted bail later that year but was re-arrested in January 2025 following another corruption-related conviction. She remains lodged at Adiala Jail.Litigation over Khan's treatmentThe latest order comes amid continuing litigation over Khan's health and treatment. Pakistan's Supreme Court had earlier directed authorities to shift him to Shifa International Hospital, though he was later taken to the state-run PIMS for medical procedures, prompting his family to challenge the decision.The matter is scheduled to be heard again by the Supreme Court on September 16.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday declared petitions challenging the alleged solitary confinement of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi maintainable and also directed Adiala jail authorities to ensure that neither was kept in solitary confinement. IHC’s Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro announced the verdict, which had been reserved on Aug 6, and held that the petitions were maintainable in light of the principles laid down in the Begum Nusrat Bhutto and Begum Shamim Afridi cases. The court also directed jail authorities to facilitate a meeting between Imran and Bushra in accordance with prison rules. It further ordered that Imran’s family members be allowed to meet him as permitted under the jail rules and directed authorities to make arrangements for phone calls between him and his sons. At the same time, the court directed that phone calls withdrawn if the recordings of these conversations were being used for political purposes. The court also directed jail authorities to provide Imran with newspapers and books daily and ensure that he receives medical facilities in accordance with the applicable prison rules. The superintendent of Adiala jail was specifically directed to ensure that Bushra Bibi was not kept in solitary confinement and to submit an implementation report to the court within 15 days. The IHC directed the superintendent of Adiala jail to ensure strict compliance with the court’s directions and disposed of the applications accordingly. The petitions had been filed by Imran’s sister, Aleema Khan, and Bushra Bibi’s daughter, Mubashra Khawar Maneka, challenging the alleged prolonged isolation of the former prime minister and his wife. During earlier proceedings, the government and Adiala jail authorities had denied that either Imran or Bushra Bibi was being kept in solitary confinement. The advocate general maintained that Imran was housed separately due to security concerns linked to his political profile and was being provided facilities beyond those available to B-class prisoners. Adiala Jail Superintendent Sajid Baig had told the court that Imran was not confined to a single cell around the clock and had access to a compound comprising seven cells, where he could move around during the day. The jail authorities had similarly stated that Bushra Bibi was being housed separately due to security concerns and not as a form of solitary confinement. Barrister Salman Safdar, representing the petitioners, had disputed the government’s position, alleging that the restrictions imposed on his clients amounted to prolonged isolation and mental distress. He had also complained of limited access to lawyers, family members and books, and sought regular meetings and weekly telephone calls between Imran Khan and his sons. Last week, after an interview with Imran’s sons was broadcast during a Test match between Pakistan and England, the Ministry of Information issued a detailed statement, which was released on social media and sent to the foreign press. In the statement, the information ministry rejected allegations that Imran was being subjected to “punitive solitary confinement, cruelty or deprivation”, stating that visits, phone calls, reading materials and home-cooked meals, among other amenities, were available to him. It said Imran was “not a person held under executive detention” and that he had been incarcerated based on multiple convictions after judicial proceedings, noting that the PTI founder “remains entitled to pursue all remedies available to him under Pakistani law”. However, the PTI had rejected the ministry’s claims as “misleading, fabricated and incorrect”.